1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to containers for storing and dispensing fluid materials, and more particularly, to bottom delivery containers with self sealing valves.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Traditionally, fluid materials, including laundry detergents and shampoo, have been provided to consumers in top delivery containers. Consequently, top delivery containers are extremely familiar to the average consumer. These top delivery containers stand upright and deliver their contents through dispensing orifices located in the top of the container and disposed upwardly. The dispensing opening is generally sealed by some sort of cap between uses. The cap prevents contaminants from falling into the container through the upwardly disposed dispensing opening. Also, the cap prevents spillage of the contents if the container is inadvertently knocked over.
To dispense the fluid material from one of these traditional containers requires several steps. A consumer must first remove the cap, usually by unscrewing or operating a flip top. The consumer must then invert the container and wait for the fluid material to flow to the dispensing opening. The length of the wait varies depending upon the viscosity of the fluid, the distance the fluid must travel, and the amount of fluid within the container. After waiting for the fluid material to flow to the dispensing opening the consumer generally squeezes the container to dispense the desired amount of fluid material. This squeezing step is particularly necessary if a small opening, as found on most flip-top caps, is used with a relatively viscous fluid material. The consumer must then upright the container which allows the fluid material to flow back toward the container bottom. Lastly, the consumer must recap the container to avoid the above-mentioned contamination and spillage problems. All totaled, four or five steps are required.
More recently, bottom delivery containers with self sealing valves have been suggested for storing and dispensing fluid materials. Such a container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,108 issued June 7, 1988 to Dornbusch et. al. This patent discloses a container with a self sealing valve. The container has a hook which can be used to hang the container in the inverted position. The container also has a flip top cap to provide added resistance to fluid material leakage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,006 issued Mar. 1, 1988 to Drobish et. al. discloses another container with a self sealing valve which can be reinforced by a snap-on cap. The container may either be hung or stood in the inverted position.
These self sealing containers can, if used properly, provide many benefits to a user. The user, upon receiving the container removes the cap exposing the self sealing valve. The container is then hung from the hook with the self sealing valve disposed downwardly. To dispense from these containers is a one-step process. The consumer merely grasps the container with one hand, places the other hand under the container and squeezes the container until the desired quantity of fluid material is dispensed into the second hand. Due to the bottom delivery feature of the container there is no need to invert the container immediately prior to dispensing and consequently, there is no need to wait for the fluid material to flow to the self sealing valve. This latter problem is particularly aggravating to consumers if a relatively viscous fluid material is used and the container is substantially empty.
Unfortunately, these self sealing containers generate confusion and, therefore, do not provide their benefits to the vast majority of consumers. For example, in a consumer test utilizing a container as disclosed in the previously mentioned patent to Dornbusch et al., only 16% of the consumers operated the package correctly. It seems many consumers have an inherent belief that containers must be stored between uses with the dispensing opening capped and disposed upwardly. Apparently these consumers did not believe the self sealing valve would actually prevent leakage between usages if the container were left uncapped with the dispensing opening disposed downwardly. Others apparently did not notice the presence of a bottom dispensing benefit at all. Consequently, the container was stored with the self sealing valve disposed upwardly. Also, many consumers capped and uncapped the container between each use. The vast majority of the consumers, therefore, did not realize all the benefits provided by the container.
The structure of the package of the present invention is unequivocal. In other words, there is only one obvious way to use the package. Used correctly the package provides all its benefits to the consumer and there is disincentive to use the container in any other, incorrect, way. If the consumer were to operate the package incorrectly he would be aware that he was not using the package as intended. Several features of the package eliminate confusion and virtually insure that the consumer receives all the benefits provided by the container. For example, the package, when full, will not rest in the inverted position with the dispensing opening disposed upwardly. Additionally, the arrangement, presentation, indicia, and shape of the caps make it obvious that the container is not intended to be capped between uses.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage and dispensing package for fluid material which insures that the advantages of the bottom delivery package with a self sealing valve are realized by the vast majority of consumers, i.e., it is unequivocal.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide such a storage and dispensing package which:
Has substantial added leakage protection during shipment to the ultimate user;
Permits easy, one-handed, one-step dispensing of the fluid material from the first use to the last;
Virtually dictates storage of the package between uses in the upright position, i.e., with the dispensing opening disposed downwardly;
Makes it obvious that the package need not be and should not be capped between uses;
Has an auxiliary travel cap which can be used to provide added leakage protection after initial use of the container if the package is to be subsequently transported;
Stores the auxiliary travel cap out of the way when it is not in use, thereby preventing its loss; and
Which accomplishes the aforementioned at minimal cost.